Enhancing efficiency of refrigerant-circulating cooling system

Abstract

A condenser is positioned in high-pressure refrigerant line of a cooling system. The condenser is formed of thermally-conductive material defining a closed reservoir for accumulating liquid refrigerant. An inlet receives the refirgerant flow from the high-pressure line and an outlet discharges the accumulated liquid refrigerant to an expansion valve. The conduit within the reservoir conducts the refrigerant flow from the inlet to a region of the reservoir above the outlet. The conduit is apertured to direct substantially all of the refrigerant flow against upper portions of the condenser, specifically against one side of the condenser. That side of the condenser is exposed to the flow of cold fluid mecium (typically air) produced by the system to condense a gaseous component of the refrigeration flow.

I claim: 
     
       1. A system for cooling a fluid medium in response to evaporation of a refrigerant, comprising: an evaporating heat exchanger comprising a first flow path for the refrigerant, an expansion valve for discharging liquid refrigerant into the first flow path for evaporation, and a second flow path in thermal communication with the first flow path, the second flow path comprising an inlet for receiving the fluid medium for cooling in response to the evaporation of the refrigerant and an outlet for discharging a flow of cold fluid medium;   a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, the compressor comprising an inlet for receiving gaseous refrigerant and an outlet for discharging compressed refrigerant;   a suction line coupling the compressor inlet to the first flow path of the evaporating heat exchanger for receipt of spent gaseous refrigerant;   a high pressure line coupling the compressor outlet to the expansion valve;   a heat exchanger in the high pressure line for cooling the compressed refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and,   a condenser in the high pressure line between the refrigerant-cooling heat exchanger and the evaporating heat exchanger, the condenser comprising a housing formed of a thermally-conductive material and defining a closed reservoir for accumulating liquid refrigerant, the housing comprising an inlet receiving a refrigerant flow from the high pressure line and an outlet discharging the accumulated liquid refrigerant along the high pressure line toward the expansion valve, the condenser comprising a conduit communicating with the housing inlet and conducting the refrigerant flow to a predetermined region of the reservoir above the housing outlet, the housing comprising a housing portion positioned to immediately confront the cold fluid medium discharged from the evaporating heat-exchanger and the conduit being so apertured in the predetermined region above the housing outlet that substantially all of the refrigerant flow is discharged from the conduit against the housing portion thereby to induce condensing of a gaseous refrigerant component of the refrigerant flow in response to contact with the housing portion.   
     
     
       2. The cooling system of claim 1 in which the fluid medium is air. 
     
     
       3. The cooling system of claim 2 in which: the housing portion is elongate in a direction from the housing inlet to the housing outlet;   the conduit comprises a conduit portion located in the predetermined region above the housing outlet and formed with a multiplicity of apertures; and,   the apertures face toward the housing portion and are spaced-apart along the length of the housing portion thereby to distribute the discharged refrigerant flow along the length of the housing portion.   
     
     
       4. The cooling system of claim 3 in which the conduit portion is positioned in an upper right-hand quadrant of the reservoir as viewed from the housing inlet toward the housing outlet. 
     
     
       5. The cooling system of claim 3 in which: each of the apertures is substantially circular with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch; and,   the conduit portion is spaced between about one and one-quarter inches and one and one-half inches from the housing portion.   
     
     
       6. The cooling system of claim 2 in which the housing inlet and the housing outlet are aligned with a predetermined axis and are positioned a predetermined distance above the bottom of the reservoir thereby defining a region at the bottom of the reservoir in which debris can settle. 
     
     
       7. The cooling system of claim 2 in which: the housing comprises a generally cylindrical sidewall and a pair of opposing end walls;   each of the housing inlet and outlet are attached to a different one of the end walls and are aligned along a predetermined axis proximate to the bottom of the reservoir;   the housing portion is one lateral side portion of the housing sidewall; and,   the conduit comprises a lower conduit portion extending upwardly from the housing inlet to the predetermined region of the reservoir and an upper conduit portion substantially straight and oriented substantially parallel to the one lateral side portion of the housing; and,   the upper conduit portion comprises a multiplicity of apertures spaced-apart along its length, each of the apertures facing toward the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       8. The cooling system of claim 7 in which: the internal diameter of the housing sidewall is in excess of about two and one-half inches;   each of the apertures is substantially circular with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch; and,   the upper conduit portion is positioned between about one and one-quarter inches from the one lateral side portion of the housing sidewall.   
     
     
       9. The cooling system of claim 8 in which the conduit portion is positioned in an upper right-hand quadrant of the reservoir as viewed from the housing inlet toward the housing outlet. 
     
     
       10. A condenser for condensing a gaseous component of a high-pressure refrigerant flow in response to a cold air flow, comprising: a housing formed of a thermally-conductive material and defining a closed reservoir for accumulating liquid refrigerant, the housing comprising a sidewall and a pair of end walls, one of the end walls comprising an inlet for receiving the refrigerant flow and the other of the end walls comprising an outlet for discharging the accumulated liquid refrigerant, the sidewall defining a pair of opposing lateral housing side portions; and,   a conduit within the reservoir, the conduit communicating with the inlet and being shaped to conduct the refrigerant flow from the inlet to a predetermined region of the reservoir above the outlet, the conduit being so apertured in the predetermined region of the reservoir that substantially all of the refrigerant flow is discharged from the conduit toward one of the lateral side portions of the housing;   whereby, the one lateral side portion of the housing may be positioned to confront the cold air flow to induce condensing of the gaseous component of the refrigerant flow discharged against the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       11. The condenser of claim 10 in which: the sidewall is elongate in a direction from the housing inlet to the housing outlet;   the conduit comprises a conduit portion located in the predetermined region above the housing outlet and formed with a multiplicity of apertures; and,   the apertures face toward the one lateral side portion of the housing and are spaced-apart along the length of the one lateral side portion thereby to distribute the discharged refrigerant flow along the length of the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       12. The condenser of claim 11 in which the conduit portion is positioned in an upper right-hand quadrant of the reservoir as viewed from the housing inlet toward the housing outlet. 
     
     
       13. The condenser of claim 11 in which: each of the apertures is substantially circular with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch; and,   the conduit portion is spaced between about one and one-quarter inches and one and one-half inches from the one lateral side portion of the housing.   
     
     
       14. The condenser of claim 10 in which the inlet and the outlet are aligned with a predetermined axis and are positioned a predetermined distance above the bottom of the reservoir thereby defining a region at the bottom of the reservoir in which debris can settle. 
     
     
       15. The condenser of claim 10 in which: the inlet and outlet of the condenser housing are aligned along a predetermined axis and are positioned proximate to the bottom of the reservoir;   the housing sidewall is substantially cylindrical;   the conduit comprises a lower solid-walled conduit portion extending upwardly from the housing inlet to the predetermined region of the reservoir and an upper conduit portion substantially straight and oriented substantially parallel to the one lateral side portion of the housing; and,   the upper conduit portion comprises a multiplicity of apertures spaced-apart along its length, each of the apertures facing toward the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       16. The condenser of claim 15 in which: the internal diameter of the housing sidewall is in excess of about two and one-half inches;   each of the apertures is substantially circular with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch; and,   the upper conduit portion is positioned between about one and one-quarter inches from the one lateral side portion of the housing.   
     
     
       17. The condenser of claim 16 in which the conduit portion is positioned in an upper right-hand quadrant of the reservoir as viewed from the housing inlet toward the housing outlet. 
     
     
       18. The condenser of claim 10 in which the inlet comprises a sight glass for viewing the refrigerant flow through the inlet and the outlet comprises a sight glass for viewing the discharge of the accumulated liquid refrigerant from the outlet. 
     
     
       19. A condenser for condensing a gaseous component of a high-pressure refrigerant flow in response to a flow of a cold fluid medium, comprising: a housing formed of a thermally-conductive material and defining a closed reservoir for accumulating liquid refrigerant, the housing comprising a sidewall and a pair of end walls, one of the end walls comprising an inlet for receiving the refrigerant flow and the other of the end walls comprising an outlet for discharging the accumulated liquid refrigerant, the sidewall defining a pair of opposing side portions; and,   a conduit within the reservoir, the conduit communicating with the inlet and being shaped to conduct the refrigerant flow from the inlet to a predetermined region of the reservoir above the outlet, the conduit being so apertured in the predetermined region of the reservoir that substantially all of the refrigerant flow is discharged from the conduit toward the one lateral side portion of the housing;   whereby, the one lateral side portion of the housing may be oriented to confront the flow of the cold fluid medium to induce condensing of the gaseous component of the refrigerant flow discharged against the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       20. The condenser of claim 19 in which: the sidewall is elongate in a direction from the housing inlet to the housing outlet;   the conduit comprises a conduit portion located in the predetermined region above the housing outlet and formed with a multiplicity of apertures;   the apertures face toward the one lateral side portion of the housing and are spaced-apart along the length of the one lateral side portion thereby to distribute the discharged refrigerant flow along the length of the one lateral side portion.   
     
     
       21. The condenser of claim 20 in which the conduit portion is positioned in an upper right-hand quadrant of the reservoir as viewed from the housing inlet toward the housing outlet. 
     
     
       22. The condenser of claim 20 in which: each of the apertures is substantially circular with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch; and,   the conduit portion is spaced between about one and one-quarter inches and one and one-half inches from the one lateral side portion of the housing.   
     
     
       23. The condenser of claim 19 in which the inlet and the outlet are aligned with a predetermined axis and are positioned a predetermined distance above the bottom of the reservoir thereby defining a region at the bottom of the reservoir in which debris can settle.